Arriva London Bus Driver of the Year 2015

Last Saturday saw the coming together of Arriva London’s 35 top bus drivers to compete in the annual Arriva London Bus Driver of the Year competition.

The competition, held at Arriva’s Edmonton Garage, consisted of an in-service assessment (completed before the main event day), a driving course designed to test driving skills to the limit and an extensive written exam.

On the day, the drivers were asked to drive a course on the garage complex, which involved:

Width test – driving between traffic cones a certain distance apart

Tail stop – stopping the vehicle with the rear aligned with a bus stop

Chicane – driving through a slalom of traffic cones

Head stop – stopping the vehicle with the front aligned at a specific point on the ground

Reverse – speaks for itself

Parallel park – pulling up at a bus stop in the correct place without sweeping over the kerb

Driving observation – a skilled instructor travels on the vehicle on public roads and marks the driver in the same way as a driving test

Speed awareness – the ability to drive at 8mph through an average speed check zone

Drivers were also required to perform a First Use Inspection bus check, looking for a certain number of faults in a given time. This is a procedure every driver follows before they use their vehicle in-service to ensure it is legal, roadworthy and safe for use.

After all of the above, the drivers were sent to the classroom to be tested on their risk awareness, Highway Code and customer care skills.

The day was not just for the drivers but also for their families and friends, with food and drink provided, along with a bouncy castle and other entertainment for the children.

The competition was hot, as was the weather, but after collating the scores were as follows:

1st - Marcin Rup, Brixton

2nd - Pedro Silva, Wood Green

3rd - Dave Foster, Croydon

Apart from their trophies and cash prizes, the top three also qualify for the National Bus Driver of the Year competition, which will be held in Blackpool on 6th September 2015.

Peter Batty, Arriva London’s Commercial Director who presented the prizes, said:
“This is a great day out for everyone and a fantastic demonstration of the skills and enthusiasm of our drivers. A big well done to all who entered and we wish good luck to our three successful drivers in their bid to win the national competition in Blackpool”

As part of our continuous ongoing staff training and development programme, this week, together with colleagues from TfL, we conducted a Hello London Accessibility Forum at our Brixton garage, and invited our drivers to participate in the discussion.

If you’re planning a wedding, a special birthday celebration or a fantastic day out with a group of friends, why not treat yourselves this summer and let us help you with your transport and celebrations solutions, using our Heritage Fleet Routemaster buses available for private hire.